edison settlement

Chino Hills State Park has numerous power lines that were in place before the land became a State Park. When one of these lines was to be upgraded in 1982, HFE challenged the project to better protect the then-emerging State Park. Though a settlement was reached with Southern California Edison, the project proponent, Edison never fulfilled its obligation to remove obsolete and deactivated transmission lines in the Park. The Public Utilities Commission again ordered Edison to comply in December 2009. The towers and lines were finally removed in the late 2010.

Quick Facts

• Edison never fulfilled its obligation to remove seven miles of obsolete power lines from a 1982 settlement agreement, but was finally ordered to comply in December 2009.
• Edison removed the lines in October and November 2010 using helicopters to reduce the footprint and impacts of the removal project.
• As part of that settlement agreement HFE must agree to any new 500 kV lines through the State Park.

Status

• State Parks decided to keep two towers in place as raptor perches.
• If the towers do not prove to be used by rare raptors, they will be removed.

Resource Values at risk

• Water Quality Impacted
  Though the Park was created after the transmission lines were already in place, Edison’s careless road grading techniques increases the impact of the towers with increased water runoff and damaged water quality in the natural streams.
  
  
• Urban Infrastructure in Rural Setting
  The obtrusive double circuit 500 kV lines disrupt the rural atmosphere of the Park by the introduction of urban infrastructure into the natural setting.

Project History

• Based on prejudicial comments made by a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) judge while conducting a public hearing in 1982 on an Edison project proposed through the State Park, HFE filed a petition requesting a rehearing.
• HFE and Edison were ordered to meet to see if a settlement could be reached on the proposed construction of massive Edison lines through the then-emerging State Park.
• HFE reached agreement with Edison to construct shorter towers and consolidate transmission lines into one corridor. The savings (in the cost of steel) of $442,000 was to be spent removing obsolete lines to improve the viewshed and rid the Park of unnecessary intrusive deactivated utility lines.
• Edison built the new parallel double circuit 500 kV lines but never removed the old obsolete lines until ordered to do so by the CPUC as part of the TRTP project approval.